The Birth of an Angel
by akichan4
Summary: Van is turning 20 and he needs to find a bride. Dryden arrived with and unrgent message concerning Hitomi. Meanwhile Hitomi is in the Hospital and she's dying?????
1. Part 1

The birth of an angel Part 1  
  
Amethyst eyes were trained on the orange tinted sky of dawn. He couldn't sleep. Every time his eyes closed, Emerald eyes haunted him. He could still see her home, that blue sphere hanging precariously in the sky. Every morning he woke up worried that the blue globe would disappear during the night. Standing on his balcony, he unconsciously reached up to touch the pink jewel that hung around his neck. It was cool to the touch and didn't admit that soft glow that it did when she was here.  
He squeezed his eyes shut and his chest tightened as he tried to fight off the tears once again. A tear escaped down his right cheek, slowly making its way down his well - chiseled face until it dropped from his face onto the pink stone. At the small disturbance, the pendant glowed a soft pink, but the pair of amethyst was closed seeing a soft emerald green that existed only in his mind's eye.  
He was Van Fanel, a king of Fanelia.  
His city has been rebuilt and his world existed in a state of permanent peace. But he was still haunted by a girl with sandy blond hair and emerald eyes.  
He was no longer the scrawny boy he was 5 years ago. At 19, he was tall and well-built, but he still retained his unruly black hair that insisted on falling in his face. His eyes were still a reddish amethyst that glowed with longing for a girl that he could see only in his memories.  
King Van, dressed in the royal colors of Fanalia, slowly turned away from the morning sky and walked towards the great hall. It was his birthday today. He was turning 20. This was the day he would start his quest, the quest to find his queen....  
  
All of a sudden, there was a loud screech and a ball of fur plummeted into him from behind. He winced as his face hit the floor.  
"Uncle Van! Uncle Van!" came from a small girl with cat ears and pink fur who was at this moment waging her tail and licking his face. She lifted her head and gave a hearty "GOOD MORNING!!!!"  
Trying to sound stern he scolded, "Hitomi! What did I tell you about tackling people in the morning?!?"  
"Sorry Uncle Van" was the quick reply as the pink ball of fuzz went scurrying off the greet one of the advisors walking by.  
A small smile made its way across his face when the man sputtered as he was tackled to the floor of the banquet hall by a little cat-girl. 


	2. Part 2

Okay I'm not really sure about this chapter... I may have messed up the story a little. Tell me what you think.  
  
A girl with long sandy blond hair walked along the quiet streets. It was peaceful in the morning, but Hitomi didn't mind. The silence let her thoughts stray to a dark haired King. She pushed the thought away and instead chose to focus on something else, anything else. She found herself worrying about the doctor's appointment she had this morning. She had been feeling tired recently. So tired that she couldn't even practice with the track team during afternoon practices. Suddenly a sharp pain rippled through her and she muffled a cry of pain as she clutched her sides struggling for air. ..... "What's wrong with me?" was the question that pervaded her thoughts as the grayish color of the cement floor faded into darkness.  
  
Van quickened his pace as he neared the throne room. Dryden had arrived only moments before saying that he had an urgent matter that needed to be discussed with the King immediately. Van wondered what could be so important as to induce Dryden to request a meeting on his birthday. Before the guards could even open the doors, A tall man burst from the room. Upon seeing Van, he grabbed his shoulders and pushed him inside the room. "Dryden........" As Van looked around he saw that the large table he used at meetings was filled with old papers and textbooks of varying shades of rusty browns and yellows. "What is this? What happened?" " Van I think you should read this" was the reply as a piece of worn parchment was waved in front of his face. Van carefully took the parchment and read, his heart pounding furiously in his chest.  
  
When an angel arrives from a foreign land, the power of Atlantis will be revealed.  
  
It will tie the life of its keeper to the land of Gaea, created by magic and sustained by the power of an angel's wish. With the penalty of death, a choice must be made. The choice to  
  
Both men gasped as the rest of the words on the page started to fade. "Wait! Choice? What choice? It's disappearing!" "Look there's a footnote" As death prevails, these words will follow suit "Death???????. But the power of Atlantis has already been revealed and it wasn't revealed by an angel. It was revealed by......Hitomi....." "Exactly" "But it says... 'with the penalty of death' and 'as death prevails' ...wait what choice??? what does this mean???" "I'm not sure, but I think that somehow Hitomi is tied to this world and she ..."  
"She what?" Dryden look sadly at Van as worry lines started to show on the young man's face. "She may be dying...."  
"WHAT????!??!?" The young King shouted and started to sprint for the door.  
"Wait. I'm not sure about this interpretation. She may not be....." One look at Van's face made the older man stop mid sentence. ".... and besides you don't even know how to get to the Mystic Moon"  
Van stormed out of the room as he said " I'll find a way"  
  
"This can't be happening. Just what am I supposed to do???" Van started to pace and this was how the young cat-woman found him four hours later.  
  
"Lord Van! What's wrong with you? I haven't seen you pace since the great war"  
  
Van sighed, "Merle...." The young cat-girl had grown. She was no longer the curious kitten that clung to Van. In her place stood a young woman, head held high with an elegance gained with age.  
  
A giggle came from the doorway. "Mommy! Mommy! I found you!" Merle smiled. Although she was married and had children, sometimes the urge to play was overwhelming. At these times, she played hide and seek with her 4 year old daughter who she named after the only other friend she had besides Van: A girl with green eyes, a courageous soul, and the ability to see into the future.  
  
"Merle! Hitomi!" a voice called from the doorway. All eyes were drawn to the tall figure in the doorway. He had cat ears and tufts of white fur coming from the sleeves of his jacket. For a second, Van thought back to a time when Merle wasn't married to one of his advisors and decided that she looked much happier as a wife and mother. "We'll talk later" Merle whispered as she was dragged off by her daughter and husband.  
  
Van smiled for a moment and then hardened his eyes. I can't wait anymore. I'm going to bring her back here where I can keep an eye her and I'm going to do it right now!  
  
Slowly her eyes opened to reveal a pair of emerald eyes dulled by pain and exhaustion. Where am I? Hitomi looked around the room to see spotless white walls and a simple wooden chair in the corner. "So your awake" came a voice from the doorway. A man dressed in a white doctor's coat walked in. " How are you feeling?"  
She recognized his face immediately. He was the one she was on her way to see this morning. "I'm feeling fine Kazuki-sensei, but how did I get here?" "A man found you lying on the sidewalk this morning. You were unconscious so he brought you here. I ran some tests on you while you were sleeping and it seems that both your white blood cell and platelet counts are low and you don't seem to have enough sugar in your system. If you haven't been eating enough, that could account for the lack of sugar in your system, but I can't determine the cause of the low white blood cell and platelet count. I'll need to run a few more tests, but it almost seems like..... " "Like what?" "Like your body is shutting down...."  
  
Van was pulling at his hair. "I have no idea how to get to the Mystic Moon!?!?!" He had tried using the pendant to bring him to the Mystic Moon all afternoon, but the jewel refused even to give off its usual pink glow. He had tried wishing with all his might. He had tried cursing, pleading. He had even tried to give the dumb stone a royal command, but nothing moved it to obey him.  
He closed his eyes as tears started to slide down his cheeks. As they made contact with the pink Jewel, a pink glow started to surround Van. He opened his eyes and saw Hitomi on a white bed. She was deathly pale and for a terrifying moment, Van thought she wasn't breathing, but then he noticed the slight rise and fall of her chest. Suddenly he was back in his room again surrounded by the darkness of night. "Hitomi....."  
  
sensei- used to address a teacher but can also be used to address a doctor  
  
I hope you like this chapter. This is my first time writing a fanfic so any comments will be appreciated. ~aki 


	3. Part 3

It was getting really hard to breath. It had been a week since the morning Kazuki-sensei had told her about the mysterious deterioration of her body. He still couldn't determine the reason for her illness. Since that time, her body had been deteriorating at an alarming rate. She couldn't eat and she couldn't stand any longer than a few minutes. It felt as though the air around her was trying to suffocate her. Her lungs could no longer tolerate the air in the hospital. With every breath her lungs burned and pain wracked her body.  
  
A tall dark haired man was standing in front of a sleeping giant that dwarfed its master's 6 feet and 7 inches. Van had decided to wake his companion that had been sleeping peacefully for the last five years. He would break his promise by awakening Escaflowne, but he felt it. He knew that Hitomi needed him. She was in pain and nothing would stop him from helping her. He held out his right hand and in it rested Hitomi's pendant. He closed his fist and could feel the pendant radiating warmth in the palm of his hand. He closed his eyes and cleared his head keeping only the memory of an emerald- eyed girl in his mind......  
  
It was so hard to breath. Her breaths came in little gasps. Her entire body was numb. A tear escaped from her closed eyelids as a memory of a raven-haired prince invaded her thoughts. One word escaped her lips "Van......"  
  
"Bring her back as fast as you can. Her life may hang in the balance" Dryden's words echoed though his mind as apprehension slowly started to fill his senses. What did he mean? Hitomi....  
  
Her family was gathered around her. Yukari leaning over her and holding her hand tight. She felt so weak. Everything was getting hazy as darkness invaded her senses. They had put her on a respirator a few hours ago. The doctors said it was hopeless. Her body was destroying itself and there was nothing anyone could do. She would die and they could only ease her pain in these final moments. She only had one regret...that she would not be able to see his face one last time.  
  
He wanted to see her, to make sure she was safely tucked away in his embrace. Hitomi.... Van.... He could almost hear her voice and he clung to it as if his life depended on it. A bright light came from the heavens and surrounded Escaflowne. Life pulsed through the giant's metallic body. As it came to life, Escaflowne beckoned for Van to climb on its back. Changing to its dragon form, it soared into the sky following the path of light with a dark-haired youth on its back.  
  
A column of light burst through the ceiling of the hospital room. All of a sudden, the ceiling started to fall apart. Debris came crashing down as everyone in the room ducked for cover. Yukari covered her friend with her own body to protect her from the pieces of concrete and plaster falling. She could feel that Hitomi's breathing was shallow. Her pulse was very weak. It was fading by the minute. For an instance, there was absolute silence in the room as a long continuous whine was heard from the heart monitor. " Code blue! Code Blue!" rang from the intercoms throughout the hospital. Then everything started to crumble and a huge metallic form burst through the ceiling of the room. On the silver monster, a distinct flash of red could be seen due to its rider's red shirt. Van's heart seemed to stop as he saw Hitomi's still form. "No....No.No.No. NOOOOOO!!!!!!! Hitomi!!!!!!!" Van reached out for her. He had to get her in his arms as quickly as possible. Sensing that this raven-haired youth loved Hitomi beyond reason, Yukari stepped out of the young man's way as he swept the still form of the sandy-haired girl into his arms. He held her close and felt her warmth still radiating through her and melting his frozen soul. They disappeared with the metal dragon in a flash of blinding light..... The six people in the room stood in silence as harmless bits of debris continued to fall like snowflakes around them. Yukari spoke quietly, "She's ok. If anyone can save her, he can..... Good-bye Hitomi...." Her doctor, her mother, her father, her brother, and two of her best friends all looked into the sky through the remains of the still crumbling ceiling, all praying that Hitomi was still alive and happy wherever she had gone.  
  
How was that? Don't worry the story is far from over but sorry that this chapter is so short. I'll try to write a longer one next time. ~aki 


	4. Part 4

It was dark. There were voices calling her from all directions. In the confusing array of sounds, she heard his voice. He was calling out to her, but the light was also beckoning to her. It was warm and comforting and she was so tired. She didn't want to worry anymore about Van returning her feelings. She didn't want to see the bloodshed or feel the pain. She headed towards the comforting light, but then he shouted her name. She could hear the strain in them, the passion, the loneliness....and the love. She couldn't just leave him like this. He needed her and she wasn't about to let him down.  
  
One..... two..... three.... four......  
  
Tears streamed down his face as he tried to revive her as he had done years ago when she had died in the jail cell.  
  
One....two....three...four......  
  
Memories flooded back to him of all the times she had almost died. All the times he had been scared out of his skin at the thought that he might lose her.  
  
One....two ...three....four...... It had been a minute already. He had gone to the Mystic Moon to bring her back, but it was too late. She was gone. Her skin was ghostly pale and the warmth was rapidly escaping her body. There was no heartbeat. A flood of tears escaped his eyes and his fist clenched. It wasn't fair. He had lost everyone. She couldn't leave him. He needed her. His chest tightened and unbearable pain and loneliness invaded his body. He didn't even get a chance to tell her how he felt. He held her body close and wept for Gaea, for Fanelia, for the Mystic Moon, and for himself. His world had lost its savior, but he had lost the only person he had loved in both worlds.  
  
thump......  
  
It was dark, but she headed for Van's voice. He needed her and she was going to try her best to find her way back to him. Suddenly she was engulfed in light, but with this light, unimaginable pain also overwhelmed her almost knocking her back to the oblivion she had tried so hard to escape.  
  
thump.....  
  
He felt more than heard the little gasps of air coming from the girl he was stifling in his arms. He reeled back and searched her face for any sign of the impossible. Slowly a pair of green orbs opened and sparkled when they focused on his face. Tears streaming down his face, he felt love and joy flow through him. She was still alive. She didn't leave him and he swore that he would never let her go. Her name came out as a sob as he buried his face in her shoulder. Her voice came out as a whisper as she gasped " Van......its ok... I'm alright...but....I can't.....breath". She pushed against his chest as she tried to get a breath of air. He abruptly lifted his head and murmured a tearful "sorry". He gazed down at her beautiful face and the pair of emerald orbs that had captured his heart. Suddenly her eyes closed as she winced in pain. Concern immediately flooded through him as he watched the pain that showed so clearly in her face. "Hitomi... What is it? What's wrong?" All she could do was whimper as terrible pain wracked her body. Then she felt darkness take her again and she faintly heard Van calling for her.  
  
"Hitomi? Hitomi? HITOMI?????" She didn't wake up and panic slowly crept up his spine. He checked her pulse. It was there, but it was very weak. He stood up with his precious bundle cradled protectively in his arms. He quickly jumped on Escaflowne's back and flew back to the Fanalian Castle where he would hopefully find Millerna and help for Hitomi.  
  
Millerna was discussing the prophecy with her husband, Dryden, when suddenly the ground began rumble. It stopped almost as soon as it started and a dark haired youth burst through the door with tousled hair sticking up in all direction and a sandy haired girl dressed in a white rope cradled protectively in his arms. " Van! What happened?" "Help her!" were the only words that came from the youth. He was frantic and his amethyst gaze implored her to help the girl in his arms. As she looked at the unconscious bundle she gasped as she recognized the short sandy hair. "Hitomi!" She practically dragged the young King out the door as she headed for the infirmary....  
  
"I don't know Van. Her pulse is steady, but it's extremely weak and she's starting to burn up. What happened to her?" " ....." "Van?" The black haired boy seemed to be brooding. "....She was dying" "What?????" She watched him as he lifted his eyes to hers. His eyes were full of pain, love, and concern. "She almost died" He whispered. "I went to the Mystic Moon to bring her back, but when I found her she was connected to all these machines and she was pale...so pale". He shivered as he remembered her deathly pale face against the white sheets. " I brought her back on Escaflowne, but she wasn't breathing. I revived her and her eyes were open for a second before she fell unconscious". She placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Don't worry Van. She'll survive. She's too strong to give up". As she left the room, she gazed sadly at the boy sitting by the hospital bed. "Please fight Hitomi" She whispered before she closed the door behind her.  
  
A shadow lurked in the corner and watched the queen leave the room. He just had to wait for that boy to leave before he could take her. He didn't understand why the master wanted her, but he knew that she was going to play an important role in their plans.....  
  
Van held her hand in his and his gaze never left her face. She was so pale, but at the same time it amazed him how beautiful she had become during the past few years. His loving gaze continued to linger waiting for the moment her eyes would open and tell him that she would be alright.  
  
The darkness slowly released its grasp on her and as the darkness receded she felt a warm hand covering hers. She groaned as she opened her eyes....  
  
He heard a groan and quickly searched her face for any signs of consciousness. Beautiful emerald green peered out at him through half lidded eyelids. Her eyes were dazed and sleepy and she winced as pain shot up and down her spine. Her vision slowly cleared and she saw a fiery amethyst gazing at her with concern. "Hitomi....Are you okay?" He asked uncertainly as she tried to lift her head. Pain pounded through her head in protest of the slight movement. Her vision swam with pain. He gently pushed her shoulders so that her head was once again resting on the pillows. "Don't try to move. You're not strong enough yet." Tears prickled her eyes as she watched the man she loved. He had grown, but he was still the same caring, but stubborn boy in her memories. A tear escaped down her face and he watched, alarmed, as another slid down her cheeks. "Please don't cry. It'll be okay. I'm here and I'll never let you leave me again". A small smile slowly made its way across her face through the tears. "Van I missed you so much!" she whispered. She spoke so softly that he had to lean in to hear her words. He wrapped his arms around her slight form. " I missed you too Hitomi" The smile lingered on her face as she let the darkness take her once again, but this time she knew that Van would be there with her. 


	5. Part 5

She felt queasy and as she tried to open her eyes pain, shot through her head. She groaned as light filtered through the haze of her vision. Despite the pain, she felt warmth surrounding her. As her vision cleared and her senses became alert, she realized that there was a pair of arms wrapped around her. She tried to recall the events of the previous day, but her memories were a blur. She tried to turn her head to see who the pair of arms belonged to, but she winced in pain as her head started to protest her slight movement. The person next to her stirred. Hitomi was almost too scared to breath. She had no idea who the person was but the muscular arms told her that the one sleeping next to her was a man. She tried not to move, but her body betrayed her as her whole body started to tremble in fear.  
  
He slowly opened his eyes. He could have sworn that his pillow was making funny noises. When his eyes adjusted to the morning sunlight, he found that he was looking at a head of sandy-blond hair. He paused for a moment as memories started flooding back. He smiled and wrapped his arms tighter around the girl in his arms and his heart filled with joy as he remembered who the girl was.Hitomi. The girl snuggled in his arms gave no sign of consciousness until he felt a slight trembling. Concerned he whispered, "Hitomi?"  
  
She froze. She knew that voice! It was from so very long ago, but she heard that voice in her head almost every day. She slowly turned around and met a pair of dark chocolate colored eyes tinted with hints of amethyst. A smile made its way across her face as she slowly realized that she was in the arms of the one she loved, the one she had left so long ago.  
  
Van smiled softly as he saw joy flood her eyes. .. A loud grumble filtered through the charged atmosphere. Van's eyes widened as Hitomi's face flushed with embarrassment. Van laughed and said, "I guess I need to feed you then". Hitomi mumbled something about tummys and traitors under her breath. Van helped Hitomi stand up, but as soon as he let go, the world turned on its axis and Hitomi wobbled unsteadily on her feet as the world around her began to spin. As she started to fall Van caught her and scooped her up in his arms. He looked at her concerned. She was still very warm. He placed her back on the bed and tucked her in. "I'll bring you some food in bed. I'll be right back" He hesitated when she didn't answer. He didn't feel safe leaving her here. Finally, she opened her eyes and saw his concerned gaze.  
  
She smiled weakly and said, "Hurry up! I'm starving!" He smiled and left to bring her food.  
  
--------------------------------  
He reached her room with a tray of traditional Fanalian goodies. He opened the door and let out sigh of relief as her saw her sitting up in bed looking out the window. She turned when she felt his presence and smiled. She approached her bed with the tray and set it down in front of her. Her eyes widened as she saw the tray and she started digging in. Van chuckled as she looked up with a face full of crumbs. She ignored him and gave her full attention to the food. After eating her fill Hitomi promptly fell back to sleep. Van sat there gazing at her until Merle looked into the room and dragged Van off to his own room so he could get some sleep. ---------------------------------------------------------  
  
It was warm and Van was there. She felt safe in her dreams, but sudden chill spread through the atmosphere. She felt a cold hand around her neck. She couldn't breath and she screamed. She sat up suddenly grabbing at her throat. Her eyes were glazed in fear. Van burst into the room ready with his sword, When he saw Hitomi sitting on the bed he breathed a sigh of relief and released the handle of the sword. When she did not move from her position, he approached tentatively. "Hitomi?" He then realized she was trembling violently and he rushed to her side. "Hitomi! HITOMI!" She shook her, but she did not react to the sound of his voice. Fear welled up inside him as she continued to tremble. He wrapped his arms around her to stop her trembling and forced her to look at him. Her eyes were opened by the stared unseeingly into his. He pulled her in to him and kissed her hoping she would wake and come back to the world of the living. At first she didn't respond, but slowly her trembling ceased and she started to respond. When he felt her kissing him back, Van opened his eyes and reluctantly pulled away. Hitomi had tears streaming down her face. She looked at him remembering the coldness the gripped her heart. She threw herself into his arms seeking his warmth. With a trembling voice she whispered, "H-his h- hhands w-wwwere s-so c-c-cold"  
  
Van was confused. What was she talking about? "Whose hands? Was someone here?" Hitomi didn't answer. Instead she buried her face in his shoulder. He looked down at her and them looked around the room, there wasn't anyone there but he felt an eerie sense of foreboding and felt chills run up his spine. He scooped up the frightened girl and tucked her securely in his arms. He wasn't going to leave her alone in this room, not if he could help it. He walked out the room and the girls trembling slowly stopped. He paused and tentatively asked, "Hitomi", but there was no answer. Instead he saw that her eyes were closed and she was breathing evenly. He smiled at her sleeping form before heading to his room. ---------------------------------------------- From the shadows the creature hissed. He would just have to find another way to get the girl. That man wouldn't leave her alone long enough for him to kill her. He hissed again and his red eyes flashed before the shadows disappeared.  
  
------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Merle walked down the hallway getting increasingly irritated by the second. She finally found a suitable victim to let her frustration out on.her husband. Marching right up to him she glared at his back. The catman felt his hair stand on end as he sensed something menacing and dangerous behind him. He whimpered and slowly turning around to face a pair of fiery red eyes. "WHAT IS GOING ON!!!!!" He winced as her voice echoed through the halls. "Everyone is whispering today! No one is getting any work done! What is everyone gossiping about!" He shrank back into the chair behind him as she stepped menacingly closer. Still whimpering he pointed out the windows and Merle directed her angry gaze in the direction he was pointing. She squinted as she saw a figure walking in the garden. She recognized that dark, unruly hair instantly, but paused when she saw what he was holding carefully in his arms. Her eyes widened as she realized what all the whispering was about. She let out a delighted squeal as she watched Van carry Hitomi through the gardens with a soft smile on his face. "THAT is SOOOO CUTE!!!" Wagging her tail excitedly she ran back down the hallway leaving her still trembling husband behind.  
  
Merle slammed the door behind her as she entered her room already making plans for Van's wedding. Then she smiled a malicious gleam in her eyes. She was going to make this wedding happen in exactly one month and she had the perfect plan to help the two lovebirds along.  
  
Van was telling Hitomi about his plans for Fanelia and all the work he had done rebuilding his kingdom the past few years. Hitomi smiled at him. He was such a great King and she was so proud of him. Her smile dimmed a little when she remembered that he was a King with many responsibilities and that this was not her world. She didn't want to go back to the Mystic Moon. She couldn't live without Van in her life, but would he want her to stay? She didn't know if she could bear watching him get married and having a family of his own. She knew he had to get married and probably soon.  
  
Van suddenly realized that Hitomi had been very quiet the past few minutes. She had given supportive little comments and tell him how proud she was of him while he recounted the rebuilding of Fanelia. He looked down at her and saw that she was in deep thought. Her brows wrinkles as if she was thinking of something unpleasant. He couln't have any of that on a bright sunny day could he? "Hitomi? What wrong?" She started at the sound of his voice and gave him a little smile.  
  
"Nothing. I was just thinking.." And her voice trailed off.  
  
His throat tightened as he asked quietly, "Do you want to go home?"  
  
Surprised she looked up and saw the worry in his beautiful eyes. She smiled, "No.actually would it be.okay." she gulped as a burst of uncertainty coursed through her veins, "if I stay...here?..in Fanelia?"  
  
Slowly, she saw a huge smile spread across his face. "I would love it if you would stay here.with me". She could see the blush that rose in his handsome face as he spoke and he turned away to hide it. He looked so cute and she leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He gasped in surprise as he turned back to her and saw the laughter in her eyes. He smiled and almost skipped with the girl still tucked in his arms as he headed back to the castle for lunch.  
  
A week had passed and Van and Millerna were outside Hitomi's room. " What's wrong with her!" Van asked impatiently. "It's been a week and she's still as pale as when she got here. She can't stand on her own. She's can't stay awake for very long. Isn't she supposed to be getting better???" Van let out an exasperated sigh.  
  
"I don't know. She should be regaining her strength. I don't know why she isn't. I don't think this is a normal illness. There are other problems too, Van. Fighting is breaking out across Gaea. Four cities have been destroyed already."  
  
"What??? Four??? When did this happen? Why wasn't I informed?"  
  
"While you were worrying about Hitomi. Four cities in the last two days."  
  
"Van! I've been looking all over for you!" Dryden appeared with a stack of old documents in his hands. "How is Hitomi doing?"  
  
Van sighed and said, "Ok. But she's not getting any better."  
  
"Well, I think I found the reason."  
  
Van and Millerna both looked at him surprised.  
  
" The prophecy.I think it says that Hitomi is connected to Gaea. In order to survive she has to have contact with Gaea. The awakening of her powers binds her to us. Not only that, but Hitomi is actually part of Gaea. She feels our planet's pain. The fall of four Gaean cities and the destruction of their lands is slowing her recovery."  
  
There was silence for a whole minute before Dryden's words sunk in.  
  
"What!!" were the simultaneous replies.  
  
"Just let her rest. She might take a little longer to heal, but she will be all right as long as no more cities get destroyed. If fighting continues to break out we may need to take action."  
  
Van smiled at the beautiful girl in front of him. She was finally able to stand and move around after two weeks of resting. She was still a little pail, but her soft smile made her look ethereal. She was giving him her puppy dog-face because she wanted to go shopping in the newly reconstructed Fanelian marketplace. Van had forbidden her to go outside for two weeks and he was never far from her side going so far as to have council meetings in his bed-chamber while the girl slept in his bed. He was getting annoyed with his advisors. Every time he bumped into one of them they would give him a knowing smile that drove him crazy. They even started asking him if they could begin planning the wedding. He was happy that they didn't mind the idea of Hitomi becoming queen, but the looks he was getting were annoying him to no end.  
  
The tug on his sleeve brought his thoughts back to Hitomi. She was pulling him along the hallway, excited to go out into the city.  
  
She was happy. A large smile seemed to stay permanently glued to her face. She felt like skipping as she tugged Van along with her past the royal guard and out of the place door. She was going to spend a day with Van and see what he had accomplished while she was away. She looked over her shoulders to see how he was doing keeping up with her fast pace. He smiled at her and she couldn't bring herself to look away.  
  
All of a sudden she walked into something big and hard. Van's hand steadied her as she wavered on her feet holding the side of her head that was throbbing. She turned to look and saw that she had walked into a wall. She heard a chuckle come from the man behind her and gave him a warning glare. His eyes sparkled with merriment. She couldn't help but smile at him, but a painful throb made her wince and when she looked back at Van, concern replaced the laughter that was there before.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"Yea. That wall was just really hard."  
  
Relieved he laughed at her again. "Only you would be klutzy enough to walk into a wall."  
  
"Why YOU! HMPH!" And she turned around and continued walking without him.  
  
"Awww. Hitomi, wait up! I didn't mean it." He caught up with her when she finally stopped. Her attention was diverted to a jewelry stand. She was staring at something. He walked up to her and glanced at the object that had caught her attention. It was a beautiful ring made of white gold. The design on it was unique. It was the crest of Fanelia intertwined with a beautiful dragon. After studying it for a few more minutes, she abruptly turned and continued to the marketplace. Confused Van stared after her and bought the ring from the street vendor.  
  
The silver shine had caught her eyes as she strode angrily away from Van. The tiny ring was beautiful. I want a ring like that when I get married ran through her mind. As soon as she realized what she had said she berated herself for making a wish that would never come true. She felt Van come up next to her and her excitement from early vanished. Her heart sunk at the thought that he would have to marry a princess soon. She felt tears prickling at her eyes and abruptly turned away and started walking.  
  
Distracted by the though of Van's inevitable marriage she didn't see Van sneaking up behind her. He pounced and scooped her up in his arms. Hitomi let out a yelp as he started running down the street. People stopped to stare at the young couple.  
  
"What are you DOING!!!!"  
  
"You were going too slow. At this rate we'll never make it to the marketplace." He laughed at her indignant expression.  
  
As they walked back to the marketplace they laughed about the day's events. Van had gotten a bucket of water dumped over his head and Hitomi giggled as the guards turned astonished gazes to their King as he walked in the palace gates, soggy and rumpled. He turned and glared at her as she continued giggling. They found their way to the gardens and Van stared at the angel beside him. Her steps were starting to lag as exhaustion overtook her frail form. She wavered and Van took her in his arms one again. In his arms, she promptly fell asleep. Van smiled at her adorable expression as she wrinkled her nose and snuggled into his shoulder. He would never let her go. He wouldn't loose her again and he hugged her tighter against his body as he felt that ominous chill. He turned around when he heard a tiny snap behind him, but no one was there. Then he noticed that one of the roses from his rose bushes was laying on the pathway. He walked over and stared suspiciously at the flower. It was crushed almost as if someone had pulled it violently from the bush. He looked at the bush it had come from and gasped as the flowers took on an unhealthy shade of gray and wilted right before his eyes. He turned and ran to the palace with Hitomi still held protectively in his arms.  
  
"Guards! Guards!" Soldiers came rushing to the King's aid. "There's an intruder lurking inside the castle. Surround the palace. Watch for any weird shadows. I want guards posted at every conceivable entrance to the castle and I want the guards tripled inside the castle," the King ordered frantically as he disappeared into the castle looking for Dryden.  
  
The soldier promptly went to their posts alert for any signs of an intruder that would harm their king and the angelic girl asleep in his arms. 


	6. Part 6

Several hundred centuries-old papers were strewn across the polished wooden table. The flat surface stretched the whole length of the royal library, which could have easily fit ten Fanalian land dragons head to tail. Papers and books were scattered, completely covering the shiny brown surface. A little figure sat hunched over a giant book at the far end with books piled several feet high in stacks to his right and left. If it wasn't for the golden crown on his head and the royal purple cape draped over his shoulders, one might have assumed that a peasant was ransacking the royal library. Having last shaved two weeks ago, his beard and shaggy appearance coupled with his habit of slouching acquired from the past few weeks of constant research, could have passed him off for a humpbacked outcast that should have been living in the church tower ringing the bells every hour. This was the condition of his library when Van barged through the doors with Hitomi still cradled in his arms.  
  
Anxiety and fear surged through his veins as he sought for Dryden, but although the panic threatened to overtake his reason, the condition of his library made Van pause for a good ten seconds in surprise. Two weeks ago, the library had been in pristine condition. Every book was in its rightful place and the table didn't even have a scrap of dust on it. When Van first gave Dryden a tour of his library he thought he had a caught a malicious gleam in Dryden's eye, but he passed it off as a trick of the candlelight. Now, he realized that ignoring Dryden's inclination for research and his lack of organization had been a huge mistake. After all, the library on Dryden's ship had been a pigsty. Nothing could be found in that landfill. The King winced as the hunched figure tossed a volume of Fanalian History onto a stack of papers and books to his right. The heavy book landed with a huge thump that shook the whole room. Old papers whose edges were beginning to turn a pale brown tint flew off the long table in all directions as the man searched for some missing document. Van doubted he would ever find it in this mess.  
  
Overcoming the shock of finding his beautiful library like this, Van shook his head and marched over to the shaggy-haired creature. As his fellow ruler continued to look through the brown parchments and scrolls and ignored the younger man's presence, Van felt the panic begin to rise from the pit of his stomach. He cleared his throat and tapped his foot impatiently. If his body wasn't stiff with fear, he would have laughed at the ridiculous picture the hunched creature made. His face was covered in hair from too many days without a razor and a pair of reading glasses sat precariously on the tip of his nose. His hair was flying in all directions and he squinted up at Van from lack of sleep.  
  
"Well, what is it?" the creature demanded.  
  
Van narrowed his eyes and red fire seemed to glow brightly in the amethyst depths. Rage flowed through his veins as he remembered Hitomi's fear-filled eyes the other day. "What is it?????? WHAT IS IT?????? I'll tell you what it is! Hitomi's being stalked by some shadow creature and it TRIED TO KILL HER!!!!! THAT'S WHAT IT IS!!!!!But it's SUCH a SMALL problem compared to your RESEARCH" Van and Dryden stood staring at each other for several seconds until a smile broke out on Dryden's face.  
  
"You know.. If you like her.why don't you just TELL her". Van froze and stared at the bearded man incredulously. Dryden just chuckled and then proceeded to stuff his head back into the pile of books in front of him, ignoring Van. Van, red with fury, turned around and stalked out of the room. ---------------------------------------  
  
He had cooled of a little, when he arrived at the door to his chambers. He realized that he still had a sleeping bundle in his arms. She had miraculously slept through his one sided shouting match. He carefully opened the door and went to put her down in his bed. As he reached his bed he looked back at the girl in his arms and felt reluctant to lay her down on the sheets. He didn't feel safe when she left his arms. He struggled to quench his fears and drew back the covers and laid her down, but her couldn't bring himself to let her go from his embrace. After debating with himself for a few minutes, he finally crawled into bed beside her and wrapped his arms tight around her. He knew that tomorrow, he would have a lot of explaining to do, but he pushed the thought aside and let himself fall into oblivion...  
  
She was there, standing in front of him. Her smile was brighter than the sunshine surrounding her as she reached out for him. He felt reached out, longing to have her in his arms, but as the sky turned black, she moved back horror filling her eyes as she stared through him. He turned around. A huge shadow lurked right behind him. He drew his sword, but the creature ignored him and instead headed past him towards Hitomi. Van reached out to stop the creature, but was frozen in Horror as the shadows surrounded her and swallowed her frail form in its darkness. Inch by inch her light dimmed. As the black fog moved up her body, her mouth formed his name. He called to her desperately, but the faster he ran, the farther away she seemed to be. She screamed his name one last time before the darkness swallowed her. "HITOMIIII!!!!!!!"  
  
Van sat up in bed sweating and breathing hard. He could still hear her screams echoing in his head. As his eyes focused, he realized he was in his room. It had just been a dream. Chills ran over his skin as he recalled the nightmare. Suddenly, he started looking frantically around him for the girl he knew he had in his arms before he fell asleep, but he was the only one in the King sized bed. Just as he was about to fly out the door to call for a search party, he heard a moan from the side of his bed. He looked over and saw Hitomi tangled in a heap of sheets on the ground. He probably pushed her over the side of the bed as he was thrashing around during the night. Sheepishly he called her name and she lifted her head slightly. She glared up at him and yelled, " I am NEVER EVER sleeping in the same bed as you EVER AGAIN!!!!"  
  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
It was the start of a new week in Fanalia. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping. In the market place you could see a young man trailing behind a blond haired goddess. The girl marched forward despite all the futile attempts of the raven-haired youth to get her attention. The observers just smiled and shook their heads as the young couple passed by. It was rather amusing to see your King begging forgiveness from a petite girl.  
  
"Hitomiiiiiiii" Van winced at the whiney sound of his own voice. He had been trailing after her all morning, but she was still mad at him for knocking her off the bed this morning. "I'm sorry. PLEASE please forgive me? Please?"  
  
Hitomi rolled her eyes and kept walking. Van was acting like a child. At the thought, a small smile lit her face. She peeped back at him. He was trudging dejectedly behind her with his head hung in defeat and his bangs covering his eyes. He looked like a kid, adorable and just begging to be hugged. Who would have thought that stubborn fiery young man she knew years ago would end up following her like a little lost puppy. A giggle escaped her lips and she quickly covered her mouth to keep any more from escaping.  
  
Van's head shot up at the noise. He could have sworn he head a giggle coming from the direction of the beautiful girl he had been following around all morning. His eyes narrowed as she started to tremble. He heard another giggle. He grinned evilly at her back. The giggles had turned into a full-blown fit of giggles.  
  
"Grrrr.." He snuck up close to her and tackled her from behind. Tickling her mercilessly. Laughing, she escaped and ran ahead. Van smiled and ran after her. A scream pierced the calm atmosphere. Fear gripped his heart and he ran towards the last corner he saw Hitomi at. Van skidded to a halt as he neared the edge of the building and froze in horror at what he saw. Hitomi was lying on the ground. She was pale and blood had started to pool around her body. A hideous creature stood over her, its claws and fangs covered with blood. Van charged at the creature, hatred filling his heart. As Van drew his sword the creature seemed to shrink into the shadows and disappear. Van's sword slashed at air and he dropped to his knees beside Hitomi's body. He cradled her head in his lap. He sobbed and tried to hold on to her warmth, but it was already slipping away. "NOOOOOOooooooooooooo" The desperate cry filled the empty air, empty of all the things Hitomi had stood for: life, light,..and love. A soft glow surrounded the pendant around Van's neck as if answering its master's plea for help. The light grew until it enveloped the two forms.  
  
Through the blinding light, Van tried to open his eyes. He squinted at the brightness. It was too bright to see anything, but he felt Hitomi's presence. As the light faded, Van found himself standing amidst vivid greens. He looked out into the world unfolded in front of him. He felt warmth prickle at the back of his neck. He turned slowly and saw Hitomi..dressed in white silk, floating two feet off the ground, with her arms out.and a pair of snow white wings stretching majestically behind her.  
  
A voice spoke to him, with all the warmth and strength Hitomi possessed, yet there was something different, something more, a new knowledge or wisdom interlaced with her courage and heart. "Van..It is time.."  
  
------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dryden jumped from his seat as Millerna entered the royal libraries. He lifted his head from the document he was looking at. " It's all here, the past, present, and future of the angel. The angel who will be born as the goddess of wings.." 


End file.
